beef shish kebab

I usually pack my lunch (well it was Irvin doing it for me these past 3 weeks) but won't you agree with me that sometimes you just want to have something else... a different taste... or just consider it as a treat to yourself!

And so I went with my co-workers to this restaurant called Persian Grill for lunch. It wasn't my 1st time there but only now that I thought of blogging about it. That place is very well known for its kebab which is defined as "grilled meat". Kebab comes with green peppers and onions... everything grilled. When served, they give you more onions and tomatoes. It usually comes with yellow rice but they also give you the option of having just veggies...zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms in addition to those I just mentioned. The food is so filling and sumptuous. The serving is big. What else can you ask for! You can never go wrong.

Well I wasn't able to take pictures of it earlier. I got this one from the web...



And maybe we can also make this at home...

Sheesh Kabab - Shishlik or Shish Kebab

Ingredients: (6 servings)
fillet of lamb or beef, 1 kg
small onions, 250 grams
large onions, 250 grams
green peppers, 250 grams
butter, 100 grams
medium tomatos, 1 kg
Saffron Liquid to taste (optional)
salt and pepper

Directions:
Also known as Kabab-e Hosseini this dish uses thin wooden or metal skewersi. Skewers should be 10-15 cm long. Wash green peppers and cut into 4 cm long and 3 cm wide pieces. Cut meat into 4 cm long, 2 cm wide pieces. Peel small onions. Push each skewer through one cut of meat, one small onion, and one piece of green pepper, and repeat until full. Add salt and black pepper to the meat.

Peel and slice large onions. Also slice the tomatoes. Choose a pot large enough for the skewers. Cover the bottom with a layer of sliced onions and tomatoes. Place a layer of skewers on top. Add a few thin slices of butter. Follow with more slices of onions and tomatoes on the skewers, and repeat this process until no more skewers are left. Cover and cook over low heat until there is no juice left. If meat is not sufficiently cooked, add a bit of hot water and continue cooking.

march 12th, 1930

HaPpY bIrThDaY, Tatay!

I know you're happy and already at peace wherever you are right now but I still want you to know that you're always remembered. You will never be forgotten. Your love and kindness will always be cherished and will stay in my heart. Your wisdom that you unselfishly shared will remain an inspiration. Your advices will always be my guide to a better life.

Sometimes I still wish you are here... I love you so much, Tatay...

all at once...

It’s been a week since I last blogged. Read on to have an idea of what has transpired over the past few days…

feb. 28th
Irvin arrived at the JFK International Airport with Manang Ani (my landlady’s sister) around 830pm. He has asked me to bring the camera long before his arrival. I had it with me but I forgot to check the battery. So there weren’t any pictures since the battery was dead. While at the airport, I dialed my in-laws in the Philippines to let them know that Irvin is already with me.

‘Bulalo’ and ‘egado’ welcomed them for dinner, had a little chit-chat and then off to our room to fix his things. Mama sent some ‘pastillas’ and ‘polvoron’ from Goldilock’s, (Thanks, Ma!). Ate Irmee also sent some ‘polvoron’. Irvin brought some chips, ‘boy bawang’, ‘ensaymada’, empanada royale, and knorr cubes. He also had with him the charcoal portrait of our wedding picture. It was nicely done and I like it so much! The wedding album from Mimi & Karl is nice too…very elegant looking! They really did a very good job. Thanks, guys! Then, there was endless chatting which lasted till almost 2am.

mar 1st
We woke up at around 11am, had some ‘ensaymada’ and went to see the Cunningham Apartments. A preliminary application form was filled up. We were also given the floor plan for the studio apartment and the list of documents we need to provide should we decide to apply for it. I showed him the other apartments as well and he liked the apartment by Zara Realty the most.

We had cheese pizza and shrimp parmigiana for lunch the day being Ash Wednesday. I took him to 34th St. in Manhattan to return some shirts to Steve & Barry’s. We’ve been also looking for a pair of shoes for him. I don’t think his shoes are good enough to fight the cold weather.

mayabang na din kami...


Later that night (730pm), we attended the mass at Incarnation Church.

mar 2nd
It was 1030am when we got up from bed. We went to the office of Zara Realty to apply. A money order was purchased in payment for the credit check. We were told we’ll know the result the following day. We had lunch at Jade Garden Restaurant (Chinese food). He said the hunan beef, fried chicken wings and general tso's chicken were all good!

mar 3rd
We went to Flushing to meet Jaime, Ate Irmee’s friend and gave him the ‘padala’. He showed us around his neighborhood for some apartments as well.

I upgraded my plan with T-mobile so I could get Irvin a cell phone.

Also, there was winter clearance sale at Modell’s. We bought some shirts and pajamas for him. I got him a New Balance sneakers and Timberland casual boots. I called up Zara to follow up on the application and was told to call back on Monday.

mar 4th
We went to Manhattan despite the chilly weather. He was feeling ok anyway. We got off at Rockefeller Center (47th-50th Streets), took some pictures and walked down to Madison Square Garden (33rd Street). I also showed him St. Patrick Cathedral, Times Square Garden, Madame Tussaud’s, and Port Authority Terminal. Lunch was at Yoshinoya.





more pictures here...

mar 5th
It’s Irvin’s parents’ wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary Daddy & Mommy!!!

mar 6th
I went back to work. Kuya Nel and Irvin dropped me off at work. At least Irvin got to see where KMC is at. We stopped by George Washington Deli to buy some breakfast. Kuya Nel took Irvin to the movies with Lester. And…I got approved by Zara. Yey!

mar 7th
I cut a check and asked Irvin to cash it so we can make the security deposit for the apartment. But the bank wouldn’t cash it since he doesn’t have an account with them. So I took a half day off, went to the bank for the money, inquired on how Irvin can have access to my bank account and learned that TIN would not be of use at all. They’ll accept his passport and driver’s license (Philippines) though. Then, we’re off to Zara, made the payment and we were given a checklist of the additional documents that we need to provide them.

mar 8th
Busy…busy…busy…at work. I made copies of the documents for Zara so Irvin could bring them today.

on his way...

Irvin is now on his way to the US. He left Manila last night at 1220am eastern standard time via Asiana Airlines and is expected to arrive 730pm tonight.

what if?

All you had were uncertainties and speculations from the very start. All you know is you didn’t have… not even a slight good impression on the person. Most things seem to have changed… the unusual became the usual. You also felt bad as you’ve never received that attention and that kind of treatment and yet this person got everything in an instant. You keep on finding faults in the person just so you could justify. But even then, all you hear are good criticisms about the person. More so, you’re the only one who feels that way. The people you’re concerned of…the people you’re trying to protect…sad to say, seem to be fine with it. And whatever it is that’s happening, they think that there is nothing wrong about it and so, they accept it as it is.

You’ve been very anxious. It was slowly eating you and even the things that you do have been affected so much. It was a really hard decision on your part to have let go of those assumptions and convinced yourself to just go with the flow.

Days became weeks… weeks turned into months until… some unexpected news broke out one sunny day. You were told about a short but powerful message that could prove your presumptions. Your body felt numb. You can’t talk for a moment. You didn’t know what to say. You can’t even cry. You can hear someone talking to you but couldn’t really understand what he is saying. You were thinking of something else. You were in a different world for some time. You were confused. You can’t think of what you need to do…for the people you care for. Until… you burst into tears and the only emotion you entertained was anger.

Now what? Can you think of a way to fix this mess? Maybe! But… how?

It's my cousin Gail's birthday today! I miss her...a soft spoken, chubby and sweet girl. And pretty too!

HaPpY bIrThDaY, Gail!!! Hope you had fun (Phils. is 13 hours advanced)! All the best always! Mwah! :)

Caleruega

I’ve been to many retreats during my school days and for all those, it was only the St. Paul Retreat House in Laguna that I've liked so far…very peaceful and at its nature’s best. Until…I’ve heard of Caleruega from Weddings At Work. I have always wanted to visit this place the moment I saw it in the pictures. I'm sure it'll also be a great place for retreats. There can’t be any more beautiful and serene than nature. And Caleruega is just perfect for that beauty that is so captivating.



Special credit to this site for the pictures…

The official website of Caleruega…

How about an interesting article?

It can also be great for weddings too. Aggie & Edil from w@w were one of the many couples who got married in Caleruega. I haven't asked their permission to link their wedding pictures here so just visit their wedsite.

And as for me... I will make sure I'm going to see this place when I go home again for a vacation in the Philippines!!!

hApPy VaLeNtInE’s DaY!!!

What is so special about this day? How does every culture celebrate Valentine’s Day? Should this only be for lovers? Read more here…

Blizzard

We’ve had a too good to be true weather these past few weeks…really great that it felt like Spring in February. But it seemed like there was a sudden turn-around when we had the blizzard of 2006. Most cities in the Northeast had a foot and a half of snow. Some even had more than 2 feet…27 inches being the highest reported. Vehicles definitely had a hard time on the road. Visibility was bad. Good thing it happened on a weekend! We had to shovel twice yesterday just so it won’t pile up that much. Well I hope these will melt faster since temperatures within the week are above normal…meaning they won’t turn to ice since it won’t be that cold.

acne

I didn’t have any problems with my skin before…when I was still in the Philippines to be exact. Of course there pimples, blackheads and whiteheads once in a while but to me, they were never bothersome. No offense to my siblings but I was very glad then that I didn’t have those acnes they’ve had in their faces and backs. Worst is… those scarred. Anyway…

What is acne? What are pimples? What causes them? How do we get rid of them? Click here for more information.

According to many, people who’ve been abroad for a while have great skin…well not to compare with the people back home but it’s the cold weather that makes the skin nicer. Never mind the fact that the heater or hot water in the shower makes your skin dry. There are a lot of moisturizers for that.

Having said that, it’s not the case for me… I have had acnes, pimples and blackheads/whiteheads on my face, back and chest. I was very worried before I got married. I went to a dermatologist a year and a half before the wedding. Dr. Applebaum tried to help solve my problem. I tried on different things… Tri Luma… Brevoxyl creamy wash… and even pills like Adoxa which caused serious heartburns that I had to stop taking it. Some of those creams were not even covered by my insurance so I had to pay them from my pocket. I also felt that it worsened the marks containing a strong ingredient maybe. Even my gown design choice was affected. I originally planned on wearing a semi-haltered one which obviously had a high neckline. It was like a month before my scheduled trip to the Philippines that I let go. But I would say the marks on my back lightened a little bit given that long time of treatment. My friends were surprised when they saw me. They even kidded saying I’m not for America. And then to my amazement, my skin cleared out in a week’s time. Veluz (my designer) instantly changed the gown design when she saw me. How do you think was I able to wear this. I even had the nerve to wear this which I never did in my whole life. I mean it’s not as great as you expect but it’s far better than my skin before I started the treatment. I am a Filipina who got used to a hot weather and maybe my skin can’t really adjust to the cold weather.

I thought that was it…my skin back to normal. But I was wrong. It was fall season when I got back here in the states. And as it got colder, all the more that these acnes are coming out. I’m under treatment again. I wonder when this is going to end. I’m just very tired and impatient…

'mga bilin'

Irvin will be arriving in 3 weeks. Have I thought of the things that I want him to bring? Well here are what I have in mind… so far:

- Cigarettes (for my landlady’s sons and 2 co-workers... A pack of cigarettes costs $6 here at an average!)
- Quickmelt Ensaymada (yummy!)
- Goldilock’s Pastillas de Leche
- Piattos
- Boy Bawang (Haha! The ever tasting kornik!)
- Knorr cubes (chicken, beef, pork & shrimp)
- Sinigang mix
- Kare-Kare mix (for Manong Nel)
- Suman kanin & suman cassava
- Empanada Royale
- Reno liver spread (The Reno spread here tastes different…)
- Henna wax

Most of the above are available in Filipino stores except for the pastries but they’re cheaper in the Philippines of course! 'Dami ko pa gusto pero di pwede dalhin eh baka maharang pa sa immigration.' What else do you think?!

Tagged by Cynchie!

4 jobs I've had in my life
1. Credit Control Officer for Castrol Phils.
2. Accountant for KMC Exim Corp., New York
*Sorry this is only my 2nd job so far…

4 movies I could watch over and over
1. Pretty Woman
2. Gladiator
3. My Best Friend’s Wedding
4. The Shawshank Redemption

4 Places I've Lived
1. Cabanatuan City
2. San Andres Bukid
3. Marikina City
4. New York

4 tv shows I love to watch
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. C.S.I. Las Vegas
3. Without a Trace
4. 7th Heaven

4 Places I've Been on Vacation
1. Baguio
2. Laguna
3. Laur, N.E. (does this even count?!)
4. Puerto Galera

4 websites I visit daily
1. Yahoo!
2. Blogsssssss
3. Pinoycentral
4. Hotmail

4 of my favorite foods
1. Barbeque
2. Purefoods Hotdog
3. Chocolates
4. Caldereta

4 places I'd rather be right now
1. working in one of the big buildings in Manhattan (New York City)
2. touring in Europe
3. vacationing in a cozy beach resort
4. or just being in the Philippines with my family and friends

4 bloggers I'm tagging
1. Alynn
2. Marj
3. Pao
4. Nette

childhood

Click here for a clearer view of the picture.

Happy birthday, Ruby!

HaPpY bIrThDaY, kApAtId! Wishing you more healthy years to come! Mwah!

did you?

Did you ever wish of becoming a different person with who you are right now? Did you ever think why your role in life has to be like that? Did you ever wish you never existed? Did you ever imagine having the kind of life you have now? Did you ever feel sorry having hurt someone? Did you ever ask yourself why do you have to get hurt? Did you ever regret a decision you have already made? Did you ever hope for just the good things in life? Did you ever say sorry for the people you’ve hurt? Did you ever try to make amends for what you’ve done?

They say you make your own destiny… that life is never simple… that the world is always unfair. But what if you’re not brave enough to face the difficulties of life? What if you can’t hold on to what you really want? What if you can’t control the wheel of life?

treasured memories

I was the happiest during my vacation in the Philippines. There's nothing I can do for now but to reminisce… to remember those memories of being with family and friends. It’s so great to have spent some time with people whom you haven’t seen and talked to in years. I really feel a month’s stay was kind of short. If only I could be there longer...

birthday greetings!

I was on the phone with Papa last night. He said him and Ma have agreed to just cook some for the day. I don’t think he invited his friends but they might show up you know. Irvin went to our house after work and brought Fundador for Papa. He said they had chicken, kare-kare (my Papa’s specialty), lengua estofado, spareribs, pancit (rice noodles) and salad. Wow! Anyway... Happy Birthday, Papa!

Oh and it was also Daighne’s (my niece) birthday last Sunday. I phoned her but it was only last night that I was able to talk to her.

Belated Happy Birthday, Daighne! Hope you'll like the fancy watch that Ninong Tito gave you. Mwah!

winter clearance

It is at this time that you get good deals for winter clothes and accessories. And since most stores want to get rid of them, they offer really great discounts for such. Take for instance the coat that I got for Irvin from Express… it was originally priced at $198 (not yet including the tax) and it was on sale for $29.99. That is like 85% off. I also bought him some long sleeve shirts from Old Navy which are discounted at 75%-80%. American Eagle has great buys too…around 80% discount also. Well it depends on the item.





Kuya Nel was encouraging me to get this down jacket from Gap. Original price was $98 but now on sale for $39.99. I still find it expensive for the kind of jacket that it is. So I didn’t get it. They went out again the next day. Kuya Nel called me at my cell saying the down jacket that I didn’t buy is only $19.99. He was asking me if I want him to get it for me. So I said yes.



Now here is the problem… after all those shopping that I did, I am having second thoughts with the size. Well I have always bought him an XL and they fit ok on him. I asked him to take his measurements. At least I could still return them if they are too big. Plus I still have the chance to get a smaller size. That is… if they still have it on sale.

something new...

Here are some "not so new" things I got for myself...

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year have passed and I didn’t even have a camera. I gave my Canon film-based camera to Mama and my Olympus D-560 to my brother Mickey during my recent trip to the Philippines. So I was just using the Nokia 6630 cell phone (which is also from the Philippines) but I didn’t know how to upload pictures from there until just recently when a co-worker helped me figure it out.



Click here to learn more about the features of Nokia 6630.

Also, I've been eyeing for the Sony Cybershot DSC-T7 but it was $599.95 that time until Sony had a price drop and what’s even better is that they offered a $50 mail-in rebate. Without any second thoughts, I bought one right away.




Click here for the specifications of this camera.

'worries'

Many say married life is no fairy tale. It’s not that you won’t be happy but it’s not also easier than you think…especially when a couple is just starting.

Of course, I was the happiest when I learned of Irvin’s visa approval. On the other hand, worries started coming in and much worse, it’s stressing me out so much. I have been on the lookout for an apartment even before his interview. There are actually a lot to choose from. The thing is it’s either it’s way out of the budget or if it’s not, I don’t like the area. And… we will need so many things too to furnish the apartment.

I feel bad for Irvin though as I get easily annoyed these days. But despite all these pressures, my hopes are still high. I’ll be ok as long as I know he is willing to take all the risks with me. And I’m sure God will guide us all the way…giving us the strength we need to go through anything.